Overheard at Assen

Apparently as much as the drivers all love the Assen track, they all say it will be near impossible to pass because it is too 'flowing.' It has been suggested by at least one driver that the first turn be reconfigured into a hard right-left series of 90-degree bends so that drivers can out-brake an opponent going into T1. Another suggested adding a 2nd such turn……..We hear there are a number of European promoters in Assen this weekend eyeing Champ Car for a possible race. One of them will surprise you…..We also hear there is interest from the Middle East…..With the Assen race turning out to be a huge success, in no small part due to the success of Dutchman Robert Doornbos (whereas for Zolder there is no Belgian driver contending for wins), there has become a realization in the Champ Car paddock that the series will fail miserably in China unless they have a Chinese driver driving fulltime in Champ Car at the start of 2008. As one wag put it, without that Champ Car may as well stay home. That goes for any country Champ Car decides to race at in the future. Without a local driver in a decent ride, forget about it. Champ Car isn't F1, which can get by regardless……Rumor has it that Champ Car president Steve Johnson has arrived in town after missing the Zolder race. Rumor has it he stayed behind to deal with the cancelled Phoenix and China race fiasco. Fiasco because cancelling races mid-season is severely damaging to the series' reputation. What Champ Car can do to counter this damage remains to be seen. Perhaps they will deliver one of those new sponsors we have been promised for months….Speaking of sponsors, we are told Red Bull will not be back to sponsor Forsythe Racing's two Atlantic cars, but the team will still run both cars next year. Meanwhile rumors persist Red Bull may drop PKV Racing's Champ Car (Neel Jani) too. We hear there was a meeting with Red Bull today to try and salvage that sponsorship…….Still hearing that high-definition TV is still being looked at for next year. We also hear that internet TV is being looked at. The problem with that idea of course is the resulting lack of value to the team sponsors because on most PCs the lettering on the car would be unreadable.